Your Wedding Day Timeline

I just saw the most wonderful post from a fellow wedding vendor. She is a photographer that I absolutely adore because of her amazing eye for detail and her dark editing style. I stalk her photos daily because they are dreamy and romantic and everything I love! Her post, however, was to share her frustration with a venue that told one of her clients (a bride to be) that she should just have her photographer create her wedding day timeline. Bless her for being frustrated. Bless her twice for stating, "We create a (say it with me) phoooootographyyyyy timeline."

See? Dreamy and dark photos for a truly romantic look

Photographers and DJ's have timelines. This is true. Your photographer wants to get photos of all of the moments that are important to you. They will create a timeline to ensure that each photo is taken care of. Your DJ also has a timeline. He will make sure that your reception doesn't have any lag time and that your guests are entertained while you are taking photos after the wedding. Your DJ doesn't think about what time sunset occurs for those special lighting photos. Your photographer is not concerned with what song you want played during the garter toss. Do you know who cares about both of these things? Your planner or coordinator.

Planners don't just assess the needs of one vendor. We take everything into account from the moment you get started with hair and make-up to the final walk through with the venue at the end, making sure that nothing is left behind and your license ends up in the correct hands. We look at all of your contracts, what each vendor needs for the day, and how much time they require for set-up and tear down so we can communicate that accurately to the venue. We typically are at the event before anyone else and are the very last to leave. Your photographer may only be onsite for 5 hours and your DJ may not be handling sound for the ceremony. Each of these vendors have a specific window of time that they are working for you along with a list of the expectations that you have for that window. It is their job to ensure that you get everything you paid for, but they do not have time to make sure that your cake arrives before the ceremony ends, that mom has time to get her hair done, and if the venue will be folding your napkins or the caterer.

Your timeline is a beautiful and sacred thing. It is much more involved than vendor arrivals and departures. It takes into account the needs of your family dynamics. Do you have a split family that is estranged from one another and you need to separate mom and dad during photos? Oh yeah, that happens... a lot. It also takes into account what your personal tastes and personalities are. Do you and your fiancé ride motorcycles and plan to ride off into the sunset on your Harley? Well, the photos before you leave need to incorporate your bike and jacket, but your planner is going to ask you what you plan on changing into before you take off so your gorgeous dress doesn't get caught in the wheel. Don't worry. No gorgeous gowns were harmed in the making of these photos.

I am a wedding planner, so I obviously have a little energy on this. You will find during your search, that your vendors have different emotions attached to vendors. The views will vary based on their experiences. Find vendors that respect and appreciate that vendors all have different roles in your day. There will always be a little overlap, so when your vendors refer you to other vendors, that is a great sign that they have worked with them and the overlap was easily managed. Be sure to ask every vendor for their vendor referrals. Even if you don't need any more referrals, it is incredibly telling how a vendor feels about working with others in the way that they share or don't share this information. Work with people that want to be a part of your Big Picture. Your timeline is just a part of this, but the creating and working of your timeline will be made so much easier with vendors that work together and want to collaborate on your behalf.

All photos are from the amazing Juliana Noelle Jumper. I especially love her Behind the Scenes photo of Suzanne Fryer as well. Both of these photographers are on my list of preferred vendors, especially if your style is dark and moody!

Venue: 75th Street Events

Photographers: Juliana Noelle Jumper and Suzanne Fryer

Attire for both bride and groom: Stephanie's Bridal Boutique

That gorgeous veil: Veronica Couture